Watchers
by Gypsy5
Summary: After Jo Gage the kidnapp could be anytime it a story of friendship and trust.
1. Chapter 1

**Watchers**** 1**

Law & Order CI.

**Disclaimer:** The characters and universe of _Law & Order: Criminal Intent_ belong to Dick Wolf, NBC, USA, etc. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_Th__ese first three chapters are set just after Eames was kidnapped by Jo Gage others will move backwards and forwards…._

**I have changed this story. I hope no one minds the story just changed its path, my apologies. **

**G**oren watched her packing, it was his way, when watching a perp he distanced himself so it felt like he were simply taking in a movie. But this time, this time he was he was right there, because this was Eames, his partner, his friend.

He'd tried not to make it obvious he was watching her, but of course she knew, everybody knew.

She was watching him to more intently taking in every little change in his body language, every tilt of the head, but she carried on packing.

Her Goren barriers were down to their lowest point , he was hard work at times, and she had to protect herself...not that he would have hurt her intentionally but his boundaries were sometimes ambiguous to say the least, especially concerning her.

Goren was disturbed, that was obvious to Ross and all the detectives on the floor. His irritation and frustration was palpable; Goren was a wild card, a brilliant detective but the dept "whack job" no one other than Alex really "got" him…and right now Eames was floundering.

She paused for a heartbeat, and screwed her eyes shut, exhaling slowly this was hard, all at once his heart lurched, his stomach flipped and he felt nauseas….Eames was all he had. He wanted to stand up and grab her but he didn't he couldn't. So he sat there and watched.

Alex opened her eyes, she knew she was safe in Major Case in a room full of detectives, but still the images were still there demanding her attention, it was to be expected with what had happened to her, kidnapped by some maniac hung up in a cellar…forced to listen to a woman feet away being tortured….killed.

And the person concerned did it because of her connection with Goren.

His world was upside down, he lived in a state of chaos and now he'd dragged her into it. He'd expected her distance herself from him, but she hadn't. She hadn't blamed him in fact she'd told him in no uncertain terms_, it was not his fault._

He'd visited her in hospital, checked up on her while she rested up at home after her discharge, fussed as much a she allowed him to. She needed him as much as he needed her, his presence while she'd slept had allowed her almost peace, she'd felt safe.

When she'd arrived in the office the detectives had welcomed her back commented on how well she looked, although to a man they all thought how fragile she looked, the bruises still evident.

They'd always sort of watched out for her she was a damned good detective, a good cop. She'd spoken with Ross then started to pack a few things away, picking up her bits and pieces some of her colleagues had offered to help as she still looked pale and moved slowly, but she'd smiled and refused their help then Goren had arrived. And the others moved away.

Straight away he'd walked over handing her items she packed, they all wondered if he knew or if it were a surprise to him…with Goren no one ever really knew, and no one asked.

Alex sighed, they'd spoken of her taking some time but she thought moving her stuff with him watching would just twist the knife he already had imbedded in his mind, but obviously he disagreed he was here.

Goren believed he was responsible for what had happened to her and more that he had not been able to discover Jo's plan before it became a reality. He'd disregarded her as had her father dismissed her; he'd missed the whole thing…. and she…..Eames had paid the price for his error.

Each of his nightly hospital visits or vigils as she called them, after each one he expected her to tell him not to come again. But she hadn't each time she smiled, she'd known he needed to be near her, see her speak to her.

Not even to himself had Bobby admitted that what he really wanted to do was to hold her, but his defences were up to protect her as much as himself. That was the trouble he was selfish, she called it his self preservation jacket, the one he pulled tight to keep those closest at arms distance.

In the hospital she'd had the luxury of thinking not always a good thing, she knew that to push the boundaries they had set up early on in their partnership would force them into uncharted waters out of their comfort zone; hell they weren't easy with what they had so why risk change.

She had not wanted to drive the knife further into his sadness, but as normal

Goren was as difficult to predict as she was. He'd come in early, she'd told him she'd be clearing her desk of a few bits….and what she realised as he watched her was he'd come in to make it easier for her, offering his support. He'd moved to his chair now pretending to work.

She looked over at him and smiled her hair fell from behind her ear as she picked a box file…he smiled in return realising she understood.

Without a word her packing finished, he stood walked around the desk and picked up the three boxes turning on his heel he followed her to the lift.

He could see the faces following them as they crossed the floor he knew they blamed him…hell he blamed himself yet she didn't the woman in front of him.

The lift doors closed, waiting to follow her lead…but she gave him no lead, so he remained quiet.

Alex Eames was tired he loaded the car with the boxes, and stood uncertain as to what to say or do.

Then somehow he got a bolt of inspiration, he tilted his head slightly…."Join me for breakfast?"

She nodded "why not"

Locking the car she followed him they fell into step easily, at the corner three men in suits laughing, rushing somewhere approached them and he instantly stepped in front of her guiding her firmly to the side away from them with his hand on her back,

"I won't break Bobby" Her annoyance was obvious, she didn't need him to protect her.

He had a good sense to look down at his shoes, then across at her eyes as he spoke.

"Eames we..we need to talk" he stuttered over the words.

Her heart lurched, she was tired and hungry and he picked now in the middle of the street, to start this conversation….sometimes his timing sometimes was perfect, just perfect; sighing she looked at him….

"Come on Bobby, breakfast"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer; I own nothing especially not Goren and Eames.

Watchers Ch 2.

They'd finished breakfast and sat there settled in a relaxed conversation, oddly neither of them seemed to want to bring up the fact she was taking time out from the job, or his statement earlier.

To anyone watching they appeared to be….what…. normal, he liked the feeling of blending in and with Eames he pretty much nearly always did.

He had thought about this often and decided she was like a see through protective cover. One that changed people's perception of him, those who looked in saw a couple not a *whack job*.

He liked that, he needed that.

Her good natured banter always managed to coax a smile from him, but now they'd lapsed into a companionable silence, with few people could he sit still and just be, but with her it was simply easy.

Since he first realised she'd been kidnapped, from that moment a knot in the pit of his stomach was his constant companion it never let up getting so bad at times he doubled up in pain.

Yet he hadn't found her or saved her.

She'd saved herself, Eames didn't need to be protected or saved, she hadn't needed him.

But he needed her.

The pain had intensified when he saw her in the hospital bed and later while she'd slept he'd read the reports of her ordeal he'd thrown up, the fear had been so intense and he'd let her down big time.

Reaching up to his collar he gave a little tug, it seemed surreal, they were sharing breakfast, laughing with her.

Opposite him sat the woman whose first name he rarely used drinking coffee like nothing had happened when they both knew it had. How the hell could she do that make him feel so comfortable while every fibre of his being fought to keep him on the edge?

Alex noticed he was getting fidgety again, she'd allowed him too much time to think, but sometimes as today it was what he needed.

Today she needed to think too, this could all go wrong; the conversation he wanted had taken her unawares. She'd known he felt guilty; responsible about what had happened which is why she had let him read the report. He'd needed to know what had happened, but for her to tell him then would have been to much for either of them then.

Over the years she'd figured a take on him; it was as if he kept things in compartments, he filed away what bothered/hurt him most and only opened the compartment and looked at it examined it when he felt able to deal with the issue. She was used to his quirks hell she expected them, he was Robert Goren.

He wondered what she would want to do next after breakfast; they couldn't sit here all day although the thought of doing nothing but spending a day with her was a lot easier to think of than anything else.

He thought back trying to remember when their partnership had come to this easy companionship, realising he couldn't pinpoint it cheered him, in his mind it meant he was at ease with it with her, otherwise he would have the day, hour even the second when stored in his head.

"Goren….."

Her voice sounded a million miles away, lifting his eyes to hers "Sorry I was…" he went to explain but her eyes glanced up at the waitress…. who was standing to his left waiting;

Eames covered a smile with her hand, while the man sitting opposite her looked simply confused, the waitress stood just watched him almost as if she expected the confused look on his face.

"Do you want anything else or are we good to go" Eames looked as if she'd asked the same question before, laughing as he tried take in what she was asking, as if she were speaking a foreign language, before getting his attention with a sharper "Bobby"

"No, no, I'm good, what about you?"

Eames spoke "Just the check please".

On the sidewalk he stretched himself as if he had been contained in a small trunk ….Alex smiled as he straightened up….. "You're a complicated man Goren"

He looked across at her and wondered what had brought about that statement, what he thought would happen if he took things at face value…didn't look to deeply into anything, he wondered if that was how normal people survived daily, he shuddered surely that had to be both boring and frustrating, sometimes his world seemed better.

Alex started to walk back towards the car it was mid morning and she was enjoying his company but knew it couldn't stay this way. She had an appointment with her shrink.

Their relationship was mainly centred around the job, they rarely had any contact outside of work; this was pretty much new territory for both of them.

Yes he'd sat by her hospital bed, called her checked she was okay as she had done in the past for him they were partners, maybe friends?

"Come on he said I'll drive you to your appointment," he spoke softly as they walked turning his head to the side as was his way to look at her, "I'll sort it with Ross"

"Okay"…she'd almost forgotten it was a work day, being with him like this was easy.

He settled her in the passenger seat, she watched him in rear view mirror till he'd disappeared from sight, then he was back settling into the drivers seat.

Sometimes he was infuriating yet other times like today he was indispensable to her well being.

Starting the engine he indicated to pull away about to put it into drive when he stopped…

"Eames" it was Bobby his eyes wide his voice raised she stopped thinking and looked at him.

"What's wrong…..what's wrong" she asked again, his face level with hers he was bent over looking directly at her in the car… "Bobby what is it"

He gulped a breath before he spoke. "Have dinner with me tonight."

His voice had a tone to it she couldn't place

His mind raced *_what are you doing; it was this kind of action that caused her to worry about him_*

Then she saw the look in his eyes, she'd seen it before fear. Realising the look was linked to the conversation he'd tried to start this morning, she almost sagged but didn't, dinner at least gave her time to…to what…...the look on his face told her it was going to quite an evening.

"Okay Bobby dinner, where?"

The fact she'd agreed calmed him, he tried desperately to put his thoughts into an orderly fashion but he was failing. He hadn't thought this through; the simple question of "where" seemed to confuse him.

She watched him struggle like trying to rise out of quicksand… she repeated it again "where?"

Her question raced through his mind and he repeated it out loud "Where?" a simple question that had frozen his whole thought process, "where?" he repeated again.

Alex smiled, "would you like to phone a friend?"

She was teasing him, he rubbed the side of his face, annoyed with himself for racing to stop her when a phone call would have sufficed what did he think she would do drive away and never be seen again…. his stomach churned at the terrifying thought of not seeing her again.

Noticing the change in him, she almost reached out to reassure him, but stopped.

"I'll pick you up at 7" he smiled with relief when his brain worked so he could reply, "it's a surprise" giving himself time to think.

"Something tells me it will be as much a surprise to you as to me, but fine 7pm it is, but Goren if I need to get dressed you have to phone and tell me BEFORE, okay" he winked as he put the car into drive.

He stood waiting outside as she had her counselling session….she came out and he pushed away from the car………"okay" he asked….word were spoken then the call came from Ross, they had a case and she held out her hand for the keys.

At the end of the case all thoughts of dinner went out of the window, the look on his face when she asked him if her was okay was heartbreaking and raw.

And all her thoughts of a break from work were wiped form her mind he needed her.

Sometimes their partnership took precedence over their friendship and the revelation about his Mom, put things into perspective.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Watchers Chapter 3…..

Spoilers for; The war at home.

"Back off"

The elevator closed and her temper rose…okay Goren, I'll back off. I'll back off so far you won't see me.

And that's pretty much what happened.

He came back and spoke but she cut him off with a brief "you do that"

It was his own fault………….he'd brought this about she'd been nothing but good to him covering his absence the fact he was called back hadn't been her fault. None of this was her fault but the old saying _you hurt those closest to you_….kept coming back into his mind.

Now he'd stormed out and she let him go. It hurt.

She threw punches and shouted….kickboxing was a good way to let off steam and boy did she need to let off steam…Goren……….another kick another shout.

Damn that man.

Her phone was ringing as she turned the key in her door, _damn you Goren_ but it wasn't him it was her Dad, checking she was okay….she vented her anger on her brother earlier he'd seen she was upset and caught up with her as she entered the gym…. Wanting to know what was wrong.

Her brother stood staring after him, as she turned on her heel leaving him watching her back…oh yes she'd kept her temper reigned in but her voice had told him she meant business, she'd let him know in no uncertain terms she was annoyed at his interference in her life she was a grown up if she wanted to talk she would. That had told him of course he'd run to their Dad now she had to try and explain when she couldn't…she'd been angry and upset…………somehow she couldn't explain at all.

Her Dad let her talk, then he said "Lexie, just remember you have us your family…all Bobby he has you, you have your safety net…who does he have?"

That spoke a little longer as she put the phone down she almost put it threw the wall but didn't…..her mind kept her awake all night and eventually she had to admit to herself maybe her timing was off…..what he said was unforgivable and she knew he knew it but she decided okay_ Goren I can't forget but I will try to understand… _

_TBC_


End file.
